Fewer road deaths but no change in fatal accidents for cyclists

While fewer people are being killed in traffic accidents, there has been no reduction in the number of cyclists dying on the roads, website nu.nl reports on Tuesday.

Cycling union Fietsersbond wants more to be done to separate bikes from cars in an effort to cut the number of cyclists being killed, the website says.

Nu.nl looked at the 45,000 road traffic accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists between 2007 and 2012.

The total number of fatal road accidents has fallen from 850 a year to 600 over the period, the research shows. But there has been no decrease in the number of cyclist and pedestrian deaths, which remains at around 260, according to the figures from the national statistics office CBS.

The research shows 60% of fatal cycling accidents take place at junctions and in two out of five of those accidents, cyclists were not given priority.

Almost half the cycling deaths involve a collision with a car. School pupils and the over 70s are most likely to be killed.

While efforts have been made to separate vulnerable road users from cars there has been no reduction in deaths, the cycling union said. ‘More attention is needed for this problem,’ the spokesman said.

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